History
Habitat for Humanity has 27 years of experience serving families in Haiti. A major earthquake struck the Caribbean nation on January 12, 2010—just 10 miles west of the capital, Port-au-Prince. Thousands of buildings and homes were destroyed, and the number of those affected is in the millions.
Habitat for Humanity’s response includes immediate relief efforts and long-term shelter solutions for low-income families. The multiphase strategy to the Haiti earthquake includes early recovery and mid- and long-term responses.
Stories and Pictures from past trips
During the summer of 2011, Habitat for Humanity broke ground on a permanent housing development in the Santo community of Léogâne. Léogâne is close to the epicenter of the 2010 earthquake where 80 to 90 percent of buildings were damaged or destroyed. The development will provide housing for up to 500 homeless families, or approximately 2,500 individuals.
Two TCHFH volunteers—Sharon and Barry Mason—traveled to Léogâne, Haiti, as part of the 2011 Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter Work Project. Click here to read about their experience.
Housing Need and Accomplishments to Date
On January 12, 2010, an earthquake with a magnitude of 7.0 struck the Caribbean nation of Haiti just 10 miles west of the capital, Port-au-Prince. The earthquake damaged nearly 190,000 houses, 105,000 of which were completely destroyed. Of the more than two million affected survivors, 600,000 are still displaced today.
Soon after the earthquake, Habitat set a goal of serving 50,000 families over five years, helping them move toward safe, secure and permanent places to call home.* More than one year later, Habitat has reached these key milestones:
- More than 24,500 emergency shelter kits are in the hands of people who needed them most. The kits included tools — hammers, pliers, chisels, work gloves, rope and tarps. These tools have allowed Haitians to clean up debris, complete basic repairs and create emergency shelter. In addition, more than 3,300 emergency shelter kits have been stockpiled, ready to distribute quickly whenever a disaster occurs.
- More than 3,000 families have received transitional or upgradable shelters, with many more shelters to be constructed in the coming weeks and months. Habitat’s upgradable shelter features a timber-frame skeleton with pressure-treated plywood walls, a tin roof and permanent concrete perimeter foundation. The structure is built so that concrete blocks can be added later, as the family’s finances improve.
- More than 14,000 housing damage assessments have been conducted. Assessments help determine which structures can be made safe and which need to be torn down.
- Habitat has launched its repair and rehab program with more than 200 repairs or rehabs slated for completion by July.
- More than 3,000 Haitians have been trained in construction or construction business practices, with another 1,200 trained in financial literacy.
- More than 700 Haitians have found job opportunities through Habitat Haiti’s main office and Habitat Resource Centers. In a nation with an unemployment rate of 60 percent, job opportunities are a crucial part of rebuilding.
*Twin Cities Habitat has contributed more than $100,000 to support Habitat Haiti’s rebuilding efforts since 2010.
Info on upcoming trips
We are hoping to lead a Global Village trip to Haiti in 2012. If you are interested in being contacted once we begin planning this trip, please contact Jeff Smith at jeff.smith@tchabitat.org; or call 612-305-7125.
Family Stories
View profiles of Habitat partner families supported by the 2011 Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter Work Project here.